If your bank isn’t supported by Plaid, or you want to bring in historical data from another source, you can import transactions directly from a CSV file. ClearCash walks you through the process in four steps and auto-detects most column formats.
Before you start
You’ll need:
- A CSV file exported from your bank or financial app
- An account in ClearCash to import the transactions into — create one first if you haven’t already
The import flow
Step 1 — Choose an account
Select which account the imported transactions belong to. The account’s currency is used as the default for the import.
Step 2 — Upload your file
Select your CSV file. ClearCash validates the file before proceeding.
File requirements:
| Requirement | Limit |
|---|---|
| File type | .csv only |
| File size | 100 KB maximum |
| Minimum rows | 3 transactions |
| Maximum rows | 1,000 transactions |
The file must have a header row, consistent columns throughout, and no blank rows.
Most banks let you export a CSV from their website under Statements, Activity, or Download transactions. The exact location varies by bank.
Step 3 — Match fields
ClearCash reads your column headers and automatically maps them to the right fields. You can review and adjust any mapping that wasn’t detected correctly.
Recognized column types:
| Column type | What it maps to | Common header names |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Transaction date | Date, Transaction Date, Posting Date, Posted Date |
| Amount | Transaction amount (positive = credit, negative = debit) | Amount, Transaction Amount, Value |
| Debit | Withdrawal / expense amount | Debit, Withdrawal, Expense, Outflow |
| Credit | Deposit / income amount | Credit, Deposit, Income, Inflow |
| Description | Merchant or memo | Description, Memo, Payee, Narration |
| Category | Transaction category | Category, Classification |
| Tags | Labels | Tags, Labels |
Amount formats — choose the format that matches your file:
| Format | Example |
|---|---|
| US/UK Style | 1,234.56 |
| European Style | 1.234,56 |
If your file uses separate debit and credit columns instead of a single amount column, ClearCash detects this automatically.
Step 4 — Review and import
A preview shows all transactions as ClearCash will import them. Any rows with validation issues are flagged. You can go back and adjust mappings, or proceed to import the valid rows.
Frequently Asked Questions
My file has both a Debit and a Credit column — will that work?
Yes. ClearCash automatically detects split debit/credit columns and handles them correctly. Debit values become expenses, credit values become income.
Can I import transactions into a connected (Plaid) account?
Yes. You can import a CSV into any account, including connected ones. This is useful for filling in historical data that predates your Plaid connection.
My file is larger than 100 KB. What should I do?
Split the file into smaller date ranges and import them separately. Most spreadsheet apps (Excel, Google Sheets) make it easy to filter by date and re-export.
Will duplicate transactions be created if I import a file that overlaps with already-synced data?
ClearCash does not automatically deduplicate imported transactions against existing ones. If there’s overlap with synced data, you may end up with duplicates. We recommend importing only the date range not already covered by your Plaid connection.
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